Goodwill

Works

A Report to the Community

Spring 2010

WASHINGTON-HOYT ELEMENTARY

School students donated more than 2,700 pounds of gently used clothes and shoes as part of apartnership between Goodwill and Tacoma Public Schools.

Tacoma schools and Goodwill team up for donations campaign

Teaching ‘green’ to a new generation

Elementary school children in Tacoma Public Schools are getting a first-hand lessonin living a “green” lifestyle as they collect gently used clothes and shoes for TacomaGoodwill in a new donations campaign.The “Donate and Change Lives” campaign started in January and will continuethrough spring among the district’s elementary schools. By the end of February,more than 7 tons of donations have been received. The goal is to have additionalschool districts across the agency’s 15-county service area participate in the campaign.“This is a great opportunity to teach children about the importance of going ‘green’and giving back to the community,” said Tacoma Goodwill CEO Terry A. Hayes.“Donations directly help our job training and placement programs through theproceeds of sales at our stores – even a single bag helps!” Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Support Rosanne Fulton said the campaign wasimportant for staff and students. “Goodwill’s donation campaign is an importantproject to support – it is beneficial to our students and beneficial to the overallcommunity,” she said.This is the first year for the campaign. Tacoma area Round Table Pizza ManagerLance Hungerford donated pizza lunches to participating schools, which will alsoreceive a recognition plaque.Sherman Elementary School kindergarten teacher Ashley Parke, whose classcollected 65 bags of donations, said interest among the students just “took off.”“It wasn’t about the pizza party, it was about giving,” Parke said.Donations to Goodwill are tax deductible and remain in the community. For a list ofdonation locations and additional information, visit tacomagoodwill.org.

Tacoma Goodwill DonationAttendant Ray Stone (left)accepts a bag of clothes fromWashington-Hoyt ElementarySchool student Kate Murphy.The school donated more than2,700 pounds of gently usedclothes and shoes as part of apartnership between Goodwilland Tacoma Public Schools.

Culinary Skills program graduate Lois Bragale prepares cookies at theMilgard Work Opportunity Center. A member of the first class of the newprogram, she found work with a catering company.

Center transforms job training services

The new Milgard Work Opportunity Center has morethan lived up to promises of transforming job trainingand placement services for Tacoma, Pierce County andacross Goodwill’s service area.Since opening its doors in September 2009, there hasbeen a more than 140 percent increase in the numberof program participants. REACH, the partnership oforganizations located in the center and providingservices to young adults, has already met its targetfor 2010, with another half of the year remaining.“Within a few short months of being open in our newfacility, we have greatly expanded the opportunities forpeople to change their lives,” said Terry A. Hayes,Tacoma Goodwill CEO. “We will continue to use thiscenter as a gift to give hope, build confidence and givepeople skills for a better future here in our community.”It’s already happened for the first participant in Goodwill’snew Culinary Skills program, which trains people to workin professional kitchens. Lois Bragale found a job in thecommunity with Dombrowski Catering.“I have been through so many programs,” said Bragale,a single mother who went through a series of trainingprograms at other agencies before discovering Goodwill'sCulinary Skills program. “I've never had this much hands-on support with everyone wanting me to succeed.” At REACH, word of mouth has attracted more than 2,700young adults to the one-stop, first-of-its-kind career andeducational resource center.“We’re a place where a youth can get their questionsanswered,” said Kurt Miller, REACH executive director.“They don’t know what to do – and they can come to aplace to start moving their lives forward.”The 63,000-square-foot “green” building is LEEDGold-qualified, saving nearly half in utility costs over theformer facility, built in 1965. It’s also been a place forgroups to have meeting space, including a recent SuperRefund Saturday sponsored by Key Bank to provide taxreturns for low-income wage earners.

Jane Taylor, newBoard president

A successful leader of business and nonprofitorganizations became the newest president of theBoard of Directors for Tacoma Goodwill at a Jan. 27board meeting.Jane Taylor of Tacoma most recently consulted withthe Middleton Foundation for Ethical Studies. Shetakes over from Bob Bruback, senior vice president atHeritage Bank, who remains on the board.New to the 24-member board include: Brian Townsend,Nordstrom Tacoma store manager; C.W. Herchold, Asset Servicing manager at Russell; Judy Swain,treasurer of MultiCare Health System; and JamesMatteucci, Governmental Affairs manager with Merck& Co., Inc. Also new to the board as a University ofWashington-Tacoma “student” member is Jeff Durham,with Precision Machine Works Inc., of Tacoma.For 2010, Goodwill Board member Mary “Buzz” Folsomis president of the Goodwill Foundation. Folsom followsToby Murray, president of Murray Pacific ManagementCo. LLC in the position and he remains on theFoundation board.

“

We’re a place wherea youth can get theirquestions answered.

”

– Kurt Miller,REACH Director